In Progress

It's Spring! Which around these parts is short for "Spring into action!" Bones has been motivated and moving and shaking. He is everywhere lately, working up in the studio, out in the tool shop, in the sun room and down in the basement. He has two very important projects in the works. The first is somewhat of a meta project in that he is redoing his tool shop. I'll save that for another post, so you'll probably see that sometime next year at the rate I'm going.

I'm most excited about his second project...

Cabinet doors! Finally! Obviously they aren't finished, I just wanted to put them in context. I tried to model them next to Scruffy, but I accidentally bumped him with one and he ran. Anyway, I'm sure you can see where these are going. The next time you see them, they will be finished and hung and you will no longer be able to see the various cleansing agents that I use to keep the house one step above general disarray.

I, too, have a project in progress. However, mine is on hold until after the semester. That's right...


























More curtains! Here's a detail:

These were done using a process called batiking. I painted melted wax onto the cloth, then dyed it. What I have here is a very basic example. We're going for a Caribbean theme for our bedroom, and I thought a nice ocean blue would go nicely with the green of the walls. I just hope these aren't too silly.

So, those are some of the projects in the works. Next time I'll show a couple of projects that have been (or very nearly) finished.

And now for the cute:

Works in Progress

Today's focus is on showing some of the baby steps Bones has made on various parts of the house. But, to paraphrase, "This is one small step for us, one giant leap for home improvement." I am just amazed that in a relatively short amount of time, Bones can undo years worth of outdated conventions (painted-over wallpaper everywhere, including the ceiling) and create modern, yet classic, looks. Judging by that description, I think it's safe to say I've been watching too much Project Runway--stop me if I start saying that the house is "fashion-forward" and "fierce."
So, on with the show:

This makes me feel rich just looking at it. And, lately, that's the only way I'm going to feel rich. The only thing missing is...Anyone? That's right, the doors. However, Bones can't be faulted for that, since he is currently working on a more important project which I will show below. Bones used curly maple for the cupboards, which has quickly become one of my favorite woods, unlike some of those boring and useless woods out there--I'm talking to you, balsa. The counter tops are granite tile, the color is known as "Uba Tuba." Just say it out loud, it's fun. The tiles were the cheaper alternative to having a slab counter top. It was a good compromise considering my refusal of anything laminate.

To appreciate the rich beauty further, let's take a look at the "Before":

And yet, we almost didn't get this place because someone bid over the asking price. Notice the linoleum on the counter top. That's brown duct tape around the sink. I don't even know what the old owner's were going for with the black, scalloped thingie, but it ain't working.

Moving on, Bones is in the midst of a fixing up the bathroom, formerly a blight compared to rest of the first floor. You may have seen it thusly:

All done up in a color I call "Institution Green."

But, Friday night Bones started a new project that I have to show before it's even finished.

Ahh, yes, much better. And it's just going to get better. He'll be breaking up the wainscotting into boxes, or frames; and of course we'll be getting rid of the green. Now I feel like I'm peeing in style. Like I'm peeing in a millionaire's personal library. Take that, random millionaire!

Well, come back on Tuesday, Scruffy's birthday is tomorrow, and I'll be posting pics. He's going to be four. That's two years that he's been with us. Our baby's growing up! I'll be making him a cheeseburger.